Spaw thinks I'm not going to post this until after his surgery, but now that I know he's gone to hospital, I can do it before, 'cause he won't have computer access to find out otherwise!**BG** I didn't start it before for two reasons, one) he was tired of talking about it and asked me not to, and two) I've been working on a surprise...read on, you'll see.

As many of you probably already know our Spaw is having heart surgery tomorrow morning, that is Wednesday, the 20th. If you'd like to read more about the cutting edge technology which will be used, please see THIS THREAD. He is scheduled to be rolled into the operating room about 715a with actual surgery starting about 730a. With everything going okay, he expects to be in Intensive Care around noon. I will post here as soon as I hear anything from Connie or Karen.

Please hold him in your thoughts, prayers, songs, dances, whathaveyou. The surprise I've been working on is to raise some funds to help Karen and him out with expenses once he comes home, i.e. meds, housecleaning, dogwalking, groceries, whatever they might need. I've contacted a few of you already and am really proud and pleased to say there is over $700 pledged and on its way. Karen and he know nothing about this.

If you'd like an addy to send cards and or a donation, of any amount, please PM me, as I do not want to give out Spaw's best friend, Connie's addy in public. She will be coordinating getting any donations, etc. and whatever they need to get with them.

He sounded really excellent when I talked with him last night. He is ready to get this done and move on. Here's a message from him:

Hi Gang!

Saw Yogi Berra the other night and his latest book title, a classic "Yogiism" seemed to hit the nail on the head:

"When You Come To A Fork In The Road....Take It."

I leave for the hospital tomorrow morning and the operation is scheduled for early morning on Wednesday. Karen and the kids are staying at Connie and Wayne's and we have the trailer set up there and Karen can get some sleep without making the long drive back and forth. The boys have some exciting things to do this week so they're in hog heaven and thankfully Connie and Wayne are real family of the best kind.........chosen and not genetic!

I have lots of good 'Catter CD's going along and I am hoping that perhaps within a week, I might be home. They sometimes keep patients of the da Vinci machine a little longer to assure that you don't overdo because you don't have all of the post op trauma that would normally slow you down and the "innards" still need a chance to heal up. I am lucky to be here since Ohio State is one of the only places to have the da Vinci and Michler (Head of Cardiothoracic) has more time on it than anyone.

I am a bit anxious but I'm very confident in all of this going right. The aneurysm makes it a high risk surgery and is certainly a "Wild Card"......but I've had the feeling since the gitgo that this is going to go well and I'm looking forward to feeling better and having a heart that's fully functional for the first time in many years. I suppose I'll get run down by a Peterbilt as I leave the hospital and the whole thing will be academic!!!

Karen and I are making plans for camping and such in July and with a few bucks saved perhaps we can make the Getaway in October....that's the plan now at any rate. We really didn't have to think very hard about this surgery because the other option was a significantly reduced lifespan.....very reduced. When it's fixed, I can expect a reasonably normal lifespan and a much better quality of life overall. If by some chance it goes badly, well, "so long, it's been good to know you.".........But that's not what's going to happen and if I believed it were, I wouldn't make a joke about it.

Our love to you all and our many thanks for all of your concern and good thoughts. Kat will keep you all posted and I'll be back within a week or ten days after a good valve job.

Pat & Karen